


when he walks in, i am loved

by turtledux



Series: darling, you are the only exception [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Bad Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gay Zuko (Avatar), I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, Jet is WHIPPED, Jetko, M/M, Minor Longshot/Smellerbee - Freeform, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Longshot, Not Beta Read, Other, POV Jet, Playwright Zuko, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Selectively Mute Longshot, Super vague and unimportant mentions of angst, Tea Server Zuko (Avatar), The Freedom Fighters are a punk band, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is too but good luck getting him to admit it, and i don't blame him, bc I said so, bisexual Jet, every character except Zuko or Jet is minor, except it's a tea house actually, longshot uses they/them pronouns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:46:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27419014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtledux/pseuds/turtledux
Summary: a playwright-slash-waiter and a band frontman walk into a teahouse (and pine..). Or: how it All started(title from 'me and my husband' by mitski)
Relationships: Freedom Fighters & Zuko (Avatar), Jet & Longshot & Smellerbee, Jet & Longshot & Smellerbee & Zuko, Jet & Longshot (Avatar), Jet & Smellerbee (Avatar), Jet & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Longshot/Smellerbee (Avatar)
Series: darling, you are the only exception [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974148
Comments: 24
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i told myself i'd post this when it was done but nope . but uhh anyways thanks 4 clicking ! and bc im a loser i made this a series despite telling myself i wouldnt! if u haven't read the og fic that tangentially connects to this feel free to!!! it's soft!!! but uh yea. i have way more of this written than i'm posting rn, i'm separating it into atleast 3 chapters :) i hope u enjoy !

Jet looks to the premises. And groans. _Really? A teahouse? This is low, even for them._ He turns to where Smellerbee is standing and frowns. “‘Bee, when you said you got us a gig at a place who does music nights, and has a name as cool as The Jasmine Dragon, this was _not_ what I was expecting.” Smellerbee shrugs slightly. Longshot half-smiles in amusement. 

“Just give it a chance Jet. A gig’s a gig, and besides, the owner is pretty cool once you get to know him. I’ve been here a couple times on dates with Longshot.” With the last remark, she grins up at them. Jet sighs. Well, they’re all here already anyway.

“Yeah, yeah. Where do we even go to put and set up our things?” One of the hostesses by the entrance must’ve heard their conversation, because she opens the glass doors and waves them over. Her name-tag says Jin. Her presence is a bit too perky for Jet’s tastes, but she is pretty.

“Hi! You must be one of the performing bands tonight. You can drive to the back and there’s an employee’s entrance that makes it easier to bring things in.” He doesn’t want to deal with paltry talk, but he puts on his usual grin and thanks her on behalf of them anyways. Civility makes things easier, supposedly. 

Longshot grabs Jet’s attention and signs, _‘Smellerbee and I will take the truck around since we’re already familiar with this place. You go ahead and order something.’_ Jet nods and, not-so-reluctantly, gives his two best friends his first real smile of the night. He walks in and gives a perfunctory nod towards Jin and the other hostess. Her name is apparently Mai and she looks rather glum. He can relate. 

Her voice is as emo as he expected it to be. “Welcome. Right this way.” Jet resists the urge to snicker. He sits in the table he’s brought to as she drops him a menu. “Performances don’t start ‘till an hour. Li’ll be your waiter.” _Does everyone working here have a name 3 letters or less?_ For some reason, at the mention of the name she gets a smirk that flashes right by. Random, but whatever. He gives another nod before looking down to the menu.

...Wow. That is. A lot of tea. He’s definitely no connoisseur, and this _is_ a teahouse, but how do they have these many kinds? Luckily there’s also a _dim sum_ part of the menu, because he is very much not immune to eating his worries before a performance. Not that he’d let anyone know that in a million years. 

Jet’s interrupted out of his idle thoughts by a sudden throat-clearing at his side. He jumps, looks up and- _Oh no_. He reads the name-tag. Li’s _hot_. He takes a good, probably too long look at the guy. His clearly-long hair is tied up in a topknot. He wants to run his fingers through it. The all-green employee uniform would make anyone else just look baggy, but Li somehow makes it work and Jet swears there’s a hint of muscle in those arms. 

Li clears his throat to catch his attention _again_ , and the look he’s giving him is visibly sour. Jet takes a specific glance towards his face. Ah shit. He has a wicked burn scar, a clear difference in color and texture on his left side of his face. Personally, Jet finds it cool. Li’s like him. He’s struggled. Considering Li’s current expression, he probably thinks his staring means otherwise, also probably familiar with such. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Gods, even his raspy voice is hot. Li’s remark is typically one used in flirtation, but his tone is filled with pure vitriol. What a grouch. But that’s okay. This is Jet’s time to shine. 

Again, he puts on his grin he knows is sure to woo(Smellerbee and Longshot call it smarmy, but that’s a them problem). He puts on a casual hum. “I might just have to take you up on that offer, the view here _is_ pretty nice.” 

Li’s eyes widen to an almost comical size(his burned eye widening significantly less, Jet wonders distantly if it even works still). He looks even more visibly peeved now, but the effect lessens with his face getting a blush that contrasts easily against his fair skin. Jet is absolutely _giddy. He gets flustered easily! Take note, brain!_

Scoffing, “Either order something or I’m getting someone else to serve you.” And oh no, that’s something that certainly can’t happen. 

Jet only extends his grin. “I’ll have the taro bubble tea and three orders of the lotus seed buns.” Li gives him a grimace he seems to try to hide. “Not a fan of my tastes?” In defence of the other, he seems at least apologetic about that. 

“I’m just not a bubble tea, er, fan… Anyway...” He scrunches his face in disgust at the sheer stating of it. What the fuck. That is just _way_ too adorable for him to handle. Unfortunately for him, all he gets after that is a stiff nod of acknowledgement and Li’s walking off. This view’s just as nice, at least. He has all night to woo anyway. A new resolve forms in his mind instantly. There is _no way_ he’s leaving this place without Li’s number. It’s a good thing Jet likes challenges.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops hi have a day early post of ch 2 bc i'm impatient <3 i'm a bit.. unhappy w this ?? or whatevs. Idk i just feel this could b better by alot T__T regardless i hope u enjoy ! don't ask why i made The Duke a bass guitar idk either i just randomly thought that up bc of his name and it's rly funny.

Quickly enough, Smellerbee and Longshot return. He looks to the place’s admittedly nice-looking stage and sees instruments all set up, including theirs. Well, besides Smellerbee’s. She has her bass guitar, affectionately named The Duke, slung over her back. It still brings a snap of amusement to him, she treats it so carefully it might as well be a living thing. He waves them over. 

“Hey, Jet. Iroh’s already told us what time performances start. Did you get anything?” Longshot gestures in affirmation while sliding out a seat for Smellerbee. Jet tries(and fails) to ignore the pang of jealousy he gets at their casual displays of care. He wonders who Iroh is, but lets it be for now. Probably the aforementioned owner. 

“Yup, don’t worry. Lotus seed buns. I don’t know what tea you two go for, so I didn’t order any other than for myself. Sorry.” Well, he _does_ know. Kinda. He doesn’t think ordering here is the same as the _konbini_ green tea they all drink and store in their shared apartment though. Smellerbee seems to wave the apology off.

“No need. Li knows our usuals by heart.” _Li?!_ He doesn’t know why his attention’s so grabbed, it’s only common sense the workers here would know their usual if they’ve apparently been here so often. Regardless, it gets him quickly sitting up from his previously slouched position. The two eye him oddly. He follows with explanation. 

“He’s our waiter, and he’s… intriguing, to say the least. I’ve been ‘engaging’.” Smellerbee lets out a world-weary sigh and Longshot’s look is all-too-knowing. Rude. 

“That’s a real convoluted way to say you’ve been flirting, Jet.” It’s not like he can say she’s wrong. He resents that remark anyway. 

Miffed, “So what? He’s hot, and he hasn’t told me to back off.” At least, not straight up. He’s not a trash-bag, he would if prompted so.

Longshot makes things clear pretty quickly. _‘Li is Iroh’s nephew. The owner.’_ But still. _So what?_ His expression must show his feelings pretty easily, so Smellerbee continues.

“We’ve talked to Iroh a lot, but almost never more than common pleasantries with Li. Iroh seems pretty protective, and you’ve seen the scar, man. We both think there’s some emotional baggage there.” Jet huffs out a laugh. 

“Meh. We’re no strangers to emotional baggage either, last I checked?” That gets a wry smile out of both of them, fortunately. 

“You got me there. We’re not gonna stop you or anything. Spirits know that’s impossible once you’ve set your sights on someone.”

_‘If you two have a dumpster fire of a breakup, make sure we’re still allowed to get tea here. No one does it better than Iroh.’_ Jet laughs again. A warm feeling washes over him at the settling of a jovial mood. He knows he’s been working on improving himself, and they know it too. 

As their conversation flows to more general topics, Li returns to their table with their drinks and foods. Jet openly admires the way he’s carrying all those plates and even the drinks that must be his friends’ usuals all at once. Li must’ve noticed the gaze he’s getting, because his pretty customer service-neutral face turns into a scowl. 

Jet gets that pang of jealousy again as he flashes both Smellerbee and Longshot a short-lived smile. _Imagine Li smiling at him like that… Ugh._ That thought gives him uncharacteristically fluttery feelings. At him, it remains a scowl. Jet can’t help but wilt. “ _Masala chai_ for you,” pointing towards Longshot, “and Jasmine tea for you, right?” They both nod and return the ephemeral smile. Li then places the three plates of buns onto the table’s center, Jet’s own bubble tea by him. “Enjoy.” 

Jet’s no way near deterred, however. Li starts walking away but he swiftly stops him. “Thanks. If this tastes as great as you look, I’m sure it’ll be amazing.” Corny, but oh well. Gotta stick with the classics. Li’s back to that red face again, and he opens and closes his now O-shaped mouth repeatedly in a stunned jolt. Kinda like a goldfish. This is _so_ fun. 

Li steps back from his personal space, and Jet readies himself for disparagement. Instead, the other’s expression gets. Well. Confusing? He doesn’t know what to make of Li’s flat-mouthed neutral look. 

“...Yeah, okay.” He gets a quick(but not negative!) nod, then a grumble that suspiciously sounds like a ‘thanks’. Li successfully walks off then, briskly. _Very_ briskly. Jet is considering this a win, so naturally he beams. Smellerbee gapes at him, and Longshot has a look that shows they’re having way too much fun with watching this. 

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just give Li the lamest pick-up line ever, and that it worked in some crazy way.”

_‘We should’ve known Li’d be your type. Let’s eat. The tea here really is amazing.’_ Jet takes a sip, and _goddamn_ it really is. He understands why the two come here so much. He easily digs in into the buns. Just as amazing. _Why has he never been here before?_

Smellerbee has an entertained look on her face. “You know… Li is the one that makes the pastries here.” It’s Jet’s turn to gape. Li can _bake?_

This is a man after his own heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dialogue is hardddd. :( thanks 4 still bein here ! a valiant choice. Sorry if i made Zuko/Li unnecessarily mean liek he reciprocates but also he's bein flirted w on the job which is prob Ugh. The next (and likely final?) chapter will b posted ideally next friday, as it's still unfinished. Comments r very sexc and appreciated so lmk what u think ;) 
> 
> konbini = shortened, more casual ver of a Japanese term for convenience store.   
> masala chai = in english this is typically just referred to as chai. to put it simply, mixed-spice tea ! it originated in India, but is pretty common in most everywhere else @ this pt :)

**Author's Note:**

> ik jet is canonically a suave guy but lets b real zuko's so emotionally awkward any flirting between em is the same T__T (i regret nothing) the next chapter is technically finished and will be added next friday! anyways, thanks for reading !!! i hope u enjoyed it !! any & every kudos/comment is appreciated, esp comments ;)
> 
> dim sum = part of a Cantonese tradition itself called yum cha(which is having dim sum With tea), it's a large range of small dishes typically enjoyed during breakfast/lunch :) think of it like teatime snacks !  
> of course, if i ever use a non-english term wrong do let me kno!! i just don't wanna super westernize characters/settings that are meant to be Asian :)
> 
> (also unimportant in this specific fic, but zuko and smellerbee are both trans and zuko is autistic k thanks bye)


End file.
